Auxiliary printing attachment for printing presses



2 Sheets-Sheet l H. H. PREDMORE AUXILIARY PRINTING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed March 15, 1959 v Jan.

Patented Jan. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY PRINTING ATTAGHMENT non PRINTING PRESSES Harvey H. Predmore, Portland, Oregm,

to Albert Edward Pearsall', vancouveniBritish (.Jolumbia, Canada Application March 15, 1939, Serial'No. :261;999' Claims. (01. 101-173) This invention relatesto improvements in tworevolution flat bed printing presses, and hasparticular reference to anattachment for this type of 'flat bed presses, whereby printing in at least 5 three colors can be done on said presses at each cycle of operation of the press, and the several colors may be brought into registry for process printing.

Not only is "there an insistent demand for color in printing, particularly in advertising, but there is a pressing need for a' simple, relatively inexpensive device for process'printing, which is that method of blending primary colors by printing one or more'colors upon another to produce hues of varying tints and shades. Heretofore the use of two-revolution flat bed printing presses for multiple color work has entailed the necessity of printing -a run of one color, and subsequently putting the printed sheets through the press a second and third time for successive impressions of different colors. Between each run it has been necessary, of course, 'to change the color of ink in the fountains and to either replace the inking rollers or thoroughly cleanse them of the ink of ,26 the last preceding run. The major diliiculty of doing multiple color work on two-revolution flat bed presses, however, is in obtaining an accurate registration of the paper during successive runs through the press.

The present invention contemplates the use of two or more plate cylinders which are so constructed and arranged that they may be moved into printing engagement with the impression cylinder; coincidentally with the movement of the impression cylinder into printing engagement with thereciprocating be'dywherebya sheet to be printed is passed between the impression cylinder and the form on the bed, and between the impression cylinder and the forms on the 40 plate cylinders, during each initial revolution of the impression cylinder; Electrotype, stereotype, or rubber plates may be secured to the .plate cylinders in registrywith the forms on the re-- ciprocating bed, either as a means of printing three distinct colors, or of making color combi-' nations, as in process wor Reference is made to Letters Patent No.'2;088,- '808, issued August 3, 1937, to Albert Edward Pearsall' for Two-revolution cylinder printing press, disclosing and describing the combination witha two-revolution flat bed press of a pair of form cylinders, movable into and out of printing engagement With the impression cylinder in timed relation with the movement of the impression cylinder toward and away-from the-reciprocating bed. 'The presentinvention relates to an im- 1 proved form of auxiliary printing attachment, such "as-disclosed in the patent referred to, having new and improved mechanism for mounting the plate cylinders, and for withholding one or -5 both of the plate cylinders -f-rom' printing contact with the impression cylinder.

'It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary printing attachment for a two-' evolution' fiat bed press for 010- .10 taining three or more'impressions at each cycle of operationof the press.

It is a further object o'fthe invention to provide a multi-color attachment foratwo-revoluticn 'flat bed' press for printing three ormore 15 colors at eachcycle of operation of the press.

It is a further object o'f the invention to provide an attachmentrfor printing presses of the characterdescribed', whereby the registration ofthe several impressions is assured on all printing '20 done, and wherebygreat-economy of equipment and 'time'is obtained.

It is-a'further object of the invention to provide anauxiliary printingattachment for tworevolution flat bed presses, having a means for 25 withholding one or more'of the plate cylinders from printing contact With-the-impression cylinder. To the accomplishment of the recited objects and'others coordinatetherewith, the preferredao embodiment of the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and 'embracedWwit-hin the scope of the appended claims. I .35

In the drawings: Figure ,1 is a side elevation of an auxiliary printing attachment embodying the present invention as applied. to a two-revolution flat bed press;

. &0 Figure 2 is a plan view' of the device illustrated in Figure l. Figure 31s "a sectional elevation taken on the line "3--3 of Figure 2; illustrating the construction' of the cam 'actuated mechanism for moving the plate cylinders out of' printing.engagement with the impression: cylinder.

Figure 4 is-a sectional elevation-taken. on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, illustrating. the. construction of the ..-a rms upon which are mounted the 50 hearings forthez plate;cylinders,

Figure. 5 isa perspective. view tofra fragmentary portion. of: the. mechanism for ,holdingthe. plate cylinders out of printing contact with the impression-cylinder."

The drawings illustrate a portion of a tworevolution flat bed press provided with side frame members i and 2., respectively, which carry the reciprocating bed 3 and the feed board 4. The

5 impression cylinder 5 is carried by the shaft 6, which is journaled at opposite ends in eccentrics 7!. Each of the eccentrics 7 is provided with an arm 8 which is connected through a connecting rod 9 to a crank it secured upon a shaft 1 I. Up- 10 on being rocked in a downward direction the cranks it? rock the eccentrics I and move the impression cylinder 5, which has picked up a sheet of paper, in a downward direction to bring the paper into printing engagement with the form, not shown, upon the bed 3. After impression and during the second revolution of the im pression cylinder, the cranks H] are raised and the cylinder moved out of contact with the bed. Keyed to the shaft 6 is a gear l2, by means of which the impression cylinder is driven from the main drive of the press, not shown.

The parts thus far named are usual parts in the standard two-revolution fiat bed press, and the operation described is regularly carried out in presses of this type and is, therefore, deemed to require no further description.

The auxiliary printing attachment which is the subject matter of the present invention is illustrated as comprising frame members l3--l3 which are bolted to the press frame by bolts l4.

Each of the frame vmembers I3 is made with parallel wall sections is in which is journaled a shaft i6, upon which arms .11 and iii are pivotally mounted. Adjacent the end of each arm is a split hearing it in which is journaled the shafts 23-43 for the plate cylinders 2-i-2I. Thus the plate cylinders are mounted for rotary movement about the shaft it, each cylinder being capable of movement thereabout independently of the movement of the other cylinder. Each of the plate cylinders occupies a position closely adjacent to and parallel with the impression cylinder 5 and is movable into and out of printing engagement with the impression cylinder by mechanism presently to be described. The shafts 2B are fitted with drive gears 22, each of which meshes with a gear 23 keyed onto the shaft 6, by means of which the plate cylinders are driven at the same peripheral speed as is the impression cylinder 5. The sha t 6 for the impression cylinder is fitted with gears E l which mesh with gears 25-25 which turn on stub shafts 262E. Bolted to each of the gears 25 are cams 27-47, and the gears 25 are hereinafter referred to as cam gears. Engaging the surface of the uppermost cam 27 is a cam follower 28 rotatably mounted upon an arm 29 which serves, under influence of the cam 27, to move a lever arm 30. The lever arm 30 and the arm 29 are made integral witha sleeve 3| fitted over a shaft 32 so that the arms 29 and 30 are permitted a rotary movement about said shaft 32. The free end of thearm 35 is interiorly threaded to receivea bolt 33 designed to bear against a surface $41 on the bearing l9. The low- 65 ermost cam 2! is engaged by a cam follower 3-5 rotatab-ly mounted upon an arm 36 which in turn is keyed to the shaft 32 from which projects a lever arm 33. Movement of thelever arm 38 is caused by rotation of the cam 27 by reason of 70 the fact that the lever arm 38 and the arm 36 are rigidly connected to the shaftv 32. Threaded through thefree end of the lever arm 38 is a bolt 39 designed to bear against a surface 40 on the bearinglSi x '5 .1 75 Supposing the plate cylinders 2l-.2'l to be normally urged into printing engagement with the impression cylinder 5, rotation of the cams 21-2'| alternately moves the plate cylinders out of printing engagement with the impression cylinder as the surface of the larger diameter of 'the cam 5 causes the cam followers 28 and 35, respectively, to move the conjoined cam follower arms and lever arms in a direction away from the impression cylinder, which movement serves to rotate the arms I? and I8 about the shaft IE to move 10 the plate cylinders 2 I2l out of printing engagement with the impression cylinder 5.

The plate cylinders 21 are urged into printing engagement with the impression cylinder 5 by means of spring loaded rods 4I-4l. The rods 4| 15 are pivotally secured to the respective outer ends of the bearing arms H and I8 which support the shafts 26 for the plate cylinders, the other end of each rod projecting through an upstanding portion 42 of the frame of the press. Each rod 4| is 20 equipped with a stop nut 43 adjustably disposed intermediate between the frame member 42 and the bearing arm for the plate cylinder; and disposed between the stop nut 43 and the frame member 42 is a compression spring 44, one end 25 of which bears against the stop nut and the other end against the frame member 42. The compression exerted by the spring 44 is governed by the position of the stop nut 43, the latter threadedly engaging the rod 4|. Threaded onto 30 that end of the rod 4! which projects through the frame member 42 is a nut 45 for limiting the distance which the spring 44 may move the respective plate cylinder 2i toward the impression cylinder. It will be evident that by reason of the 35 mechanism hereinabove described, each of the plate cylinders 2| is mounted for independent movement toward and away from the impression cylinder 5, and that the mechanism for moving each plate cylinder toward and away from the impression cylinder is actuated independently of 40 the actuation of the mechanism for so moving the other plate cylinder.

Applicant has provided a means for withholding either one or both of the plate cylinders from printing engagement with the impression cylinder during operation of the press. It will be appreciated that this may be accomplished in a number of different ways, one of which might take the form of mechanism for selectively disengaging either one or both of the cam gears 25 from m the gear 24 at the moment the surface of the larger diameter of the cam is in engagement with the cam follower. In the illustrated embodiment ofthe invention, however, the desired result is accomplished by means of narrow plates 4646 siidably fixed upon the frame of the press in position to slide between the frame and the nut 45 threaded onto the end of the rod M for limiting the action of the spring 46. Each of the plates 46 carries an upstanding leg or wall portion 41 which, upon movement of the plate 46, may be moved into a position between the nut 45 and the upstanding portion 42 of the frame for arresting return movementof therod il when the respective cam follower (2835) shall be in engagement with the surface of the smaller diameter of-the cam. The wall portion 41 of the plate 46 holds the-respective plate cylinder out of printing en gagement with the impression cylinder by a distance equal to the thickness of the said wall portion 41,

The plates 46 are moved into inoperative position by means of a strap. 48 to which the plates 46 are attached by means of links 49-49. The

.zstrap- 4'8-isrmovedrin.zonedirectionibyimeans of a rfreshlyxsupplie'd wit foot :treadle '50, :which :Zdirection :of movement .:causes ..tl'1e ip1ates 46 toxbe-zmoved into operative ,position; and is moved: :in'Lthe mther tdirectioni by 'means':of;ea.spring:5,l ;one endgof which tis:.secured to 'ztherzstrap-"48 and zithe :lother rend :of which .is secured :to xztherframe of z'the iipress. atherefore, :by reason. of i' thespring |,,:the, plates :46. are; held in inoperativepposition.

Normally,

.Oneiof thezupstan'ding': legs or wall portions'fil' non one- :plate46-:may: be of greaterlength than. the upstanding-wall: portion flionithe 'otherjplate '45,

by reason .=of which a. limited movement gof the a-strap &8 willxarrest ,the: return .tmovement -.'0f :but ionezof ,the rods 1 Land thusicausebuteone 10f jthe v,plate cylinders 2 l to beheld-tout ofjprinting ten-- gagement with the impression cylinder. ..By

imeans of a ..-locking...mechanism, :not shown, the ,foot treadlemay: berselectively locked inieither intermediate or full. stroke, position for withholding' either one or bothof .the', plate cylinders from printing :engagement with .the: impression cylin- .sder. the upstanding wall portion 41 moved into; operative position between: the nut 45 andthe upstanding:portion-42of the frame to .arrest return movement of .the rod 41 whenever ,thestrap 48 is .movedin .the-arrow.

illustrates the manner in which of the, plate 2 46 is f Figure 5 thedirection-indicated .by

The auxiliary printing attachment illustrated in the drawingslincludesrform rollers 52--52'for w-hicnbearingsiaret-carried in brackets 3'! bolted :to the-arms l1 and I8. :Inatheconstruction illustrated :two form: rollersiaregprovided for each .of

the plate cylinders, and for each set of form rollers there isiprovidedawvibrator roller 53, the form rollers being equally spaced therefrom by the respective plate cylinders 2|. The form rollers 52 are driven by gears 54'fitted to the end of each of the plate cylinders 2|, which gears 54 mesh with gears 55 keyed to the shafts of the form rollers. Each of the drive gears 22 is fitted on its inner side with a cam 56 which engages and rocks an arm 51 mounted on a suitable supporting member, this arm being forked at engage a grooved collar 58 secured to the shaft 59 of the vibrator roller 53. A spring 50 is interposed on each shaft 59 between the frame member 31 and the adjacent end of the vibrator roller 53 for the purpose of urging the vibrator roller axially in one direction, whereas the cam 56 serves through the arm 51 to move said roller in the opposite direction;

Suitably supported between the frame members l and 2 are inking fountain assemblies, one for each plate cylinder. Each fountain assembly consists of a. fountain 6| of the usual type, provided with a fountain roller 52. A ratchet wheel 63 is secured to each fountain roller 62 and is driven by the ratchet 64 provided on the rocker 65 which is actuated by movement of the link 66. The link 65 engages a pin 61 which is offset on a vertical shaft 88. The shaft 68 is rotated in alternately changing directions in an oscillating manner by means of a link 69 secured at one end to a pin 10 offset on the shaft 68 and secured at its other end to a bell crank 11 pivoted at 12 and carrying on its free end a cam follower 13. The

cam follower 13 engages the lower cam 21, rotation of which serves to rock the bell crank 1|, which in turn oscillates the shaft 88 to actuate the ratchet 64. Thus it will be seen that the ratchet is actuated once upon each revolution of the cam 21, by means of which the fountain roller 62 is mated by a link 11v l1 and I8, respectively, :ment thereof. The-leverarms 18, and1thelength ofxthe link 11 is adjustable :in

its forward end to r l inktfrom ithe fountain-i6 l The. cam :follower 13 is held. in operative "engagerment' with thecam-21 by'means of a: spring 114-;-se-

cured at one end tothe endtof the bellicrankll, andat'its othercend-torthe press'frame. v

.ductor roller 15.is;.m0unted'in bearings L-carried upon a lever arm 165which is intermittentlyxac-ul!) secured to the bearing arms and operatedbythemove- 16 ,are 'pivoted'zat the well known manner ingsnto determine the limits of 'movementtofl'the lever 16. i I, t

In operatiom'forms for theiflrstcolo'r aregtsecured'to the bed 3 of-the press; forms for theasec- 'ond color are secured in proper registration-on one of the plate'cylinders'2l; and formsfor the third color, if .three-color'printing is. to be ::done, are secured to the other plate cylinder 2|. When illustrated :in' .the'ndrawthe forms are in "registration, and'theinkfountains supplied with ink of the desired 'colors,".the 1 press is set in'motion and is fed withwsheetsaof paper in theusual Way. Each sheet,.on being gripped and carried around upon the surfacezof the impression cylinder 5, is first brought into .im-

pression upon theforms on thebed 3,..and1 then i passes into impression on the forms attachednto each of the lower and upper plate cylinders in the order named. As the reciprocating bed 3 is :about to begin its return movement, .the'eccentrics 1 are rotated to raise the .impressioncylinder it off impression, and in'timed relation with'gthis movement the cams 21 are rotated to bring the cam followers 28 and 35 into engagement with the surface of the larger diameters of the cams, thus moving the plate cylinders 2| away from the impression cylinder 5, and moving theductor rollers 15 out of contact with the form rollers 52 and into contact with the fountain rollers 62. Due to the fact that the cam gears 25 are rotated at one-half the peripheral speed of. the impression cylinders 5 so that the cams 21 are rotated only once during each two revolutions of the impression cylinder, the cam followers 28 and 35 are caused to engage the surface of the larger diameterof the cams during the second revolution of the impression cylinder, whereby the plate cylinders are held out of contact with the impression cylinder and the ductor roller receives a fresh supply of ink from the fountain roller.62.

1 Having now described my invention what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1. An auxiliary printing attachment for tworevolution flat bed printing presses having means for moving the impression cylinder of the press toward and away from the reciprocating bed of the press, said device comprising frame members, two pair of arms pivotally mounted on said frame members, a plate cylinder journaled in bearings'carried by each said pair of arms, a spring actuated rod secured to each of said arms for urging the plate cylinders into printing engagement with the impression cylinder, a pair of cams adapted to be rotated by rotation of the impression cylindena leverv arm bearing upon each of the plate cylinder carrying arms and adapted tobe moved in opposition to the normal movement of said rod by rotation of said cams for moving said plate cylinders out of printing engagement with said and in impression cylinder in I cylinder away from the reciprocating bed, and means for arresting the return movement of said .rods for holding said plate cylinders out of print- "toward and away from the reciprocating bed of the press, said device comprising frame members, two pair of arms pivotally mounted on said frame members, a plate cylinder journaled in bearing carried by each said pair of arms, resilient means for urging each plate cylinder into printing engagement with the impression cylinder, means for moving said plate cylinders out of printing engagement with said impression cylinder in timed relation to the movement of the impression cylinder away from the reciprocating bed, and means for selectively holding one or more of said plate cylinders out of printing engagement with the impression cylinder.

3. An auxiliary printing attachment for two revolution'fiat bed printing presses having means for moving the impression cylinder of the press toward and away from the reciprocating bed of the press, said device comprising a pair of plate cylinders adapted to imprint a sheet carried by the impression cylinder, means for moving each plate cylinder into and out of printing engagement with the impression cylinder in timed relationtc the movement of the impression cylinder toward and away from the reciprocating bed, and means for selectively holding one or more of said plate cylinders out of printing engagement with the impression cylinder.

ti'medrelation to the movement of the impression 4. An auxiliary printing attachment for a tworevolution flat bed printing press having an impression cylinder mounted for movement toward and away from a reciprocatory bed as the bed is reciprocate-d, a pair of plate cylinders adapted to imprint a sheet carried by the impression cylinder, independently actuated means associated with each said plate cylinder for separately moving each .ofthe plate cylinders intoand out of printing engagement with the impression cylinder in timed relation with the movement of the impression cylinder toward and away from the reciprocating bed; means for selectively withholding one or more of said plate cylinders from printing engagement with the impression cylinder, and means associated with each plate cylinder for applying ink thereto.

5. An auxiliary printing attachment for a tworevolution flat bed printing press having an impression cylinder mounted for movement toward and away from the reciprocatory bed of the press as the bed is reciprocated, a pair of plate cylinders adapted-to imprint a sheet carried by the impression cylinder, means for urging the plate cylinders into printing'engagement with the impression cylinder, means adapted to be actuated in timed relation to the movement of the impression cylinder away from the reciprocating bed for moving said plate cylinders out of printing engagement with the impression cylinder, and 

